Hand-held and hand manipulated gold pans have been used for many years for separating small gold particles from non-gold materials, and in particular from gold ore and placer found in stream or river beds. This type of gold mining is quite difficult to learn. Also, gold separating by the hand panning method is difficult and tedious even to an experienced gold panner. A principal object of this invention is to provide a frame supported rotating gold pan which includes a spiral rib in its interior leading to a hub cup. Gold ore is introduced into the pan as the pan is rotated. Large pieces of non-gold placer gravitate out from the pan. Small particles, including gold particles, are moved by a spiral rib, to the center of the pan, into the hub cup.